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Formation Scorecard

Foreign registration scorecard · Hawaii

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in Hawaii (2026)

On the Formation Scorecard 2026 scorecard for foreign registration services in Hawaii the order reads Mainstay Filing ($199), HI Registered Agent.org ($199) and Hawaii Registered Agent.co ($199). Mainstay Filing posts the top score: $199 on top of the state's fee, with a free first year as your registered agent and the same price in every state.
Researched and written by the Formation Scorecard editorial team
Rank #1 Best here

1. Mainstay Filing: best for companies spread across states

9.4 Editor score out of 10
$199 service fee, $250 due at checkout including the state fee; agent $149 yearly from year two

Mainstay Filing leads the card: it files the Hawaii registration for $199 and acts as your registered agent, free for year one and $149 a year after.

The agent is free in year one and $149 a year after that, wherever the company registers.

Mainstay's three-year total sits $100 above HI Registered Agent.org's, which the extra coverage earns back in our scoring.

What you get

  • Registration prepared and submitted
  • The first registered agent year at no charge
  • Legal papers served on the company scanned free on the same business day

Strengths

  • $199 service fee, with the state fee on top
  • Served papers scanned on the day they arrive, free
  • Registered agent free for year one
  • Same price across all fifty states

Watch for

  • Agent renewal of $149 is $50 more than HI Registered Agent.org charges
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Mainstay Filing: the full write-up
Rank #2 Lower renewal than Mainstay

2. HI Registered Agent.org: best for companies that add just Hawaii

9.1 Editor score out of 10
$199 service fee plus the state fee; agent $99 yearly from year two

HI Registered Agent.org takes second spot: the Hawaii registration at $199, first agent year included, then $99 a year.

The plan puts the company at an in-state street address and scans papers served on it to your online account.

What you get

  • Registration prepared and filed
  • Year-one registered agent service included

Strengths

  • Registered agent service for year one is in the price
  • A $199 service fee before the state's
  • Agent at $99 a year from year two

Watch for

  • Limited to Hawaii; your home state still needs an agent
  • $99 extra for the EIN application
Visit HI Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. HI Registered Agent.org: the full write-up
Rank #3 Best for a Hawaii-only company

3. Hawaii Registered Agent.co: best for registrations in Hawaii only

9.0 Editor score out of 10
Service fee $199 with the state fee added; agent renewing at $99

Hawaii Registered Agent.co takes third spot: the Hawaii registration at $199, first agent year included, then $99 a year.

The plan puts the company at an in-state street address and scans papers served on it to your online account.

Hawaii Registered Agent.co mirrors HI Registered Agent.org on price and plan features, so little divides them.

What you get

  • Registration prepared and filed
  • Year-one registered agent service included

Strengths

  • Second-year agent cost: $99
  • $199 to register, state fee extra
  • Registered agent service for year one is in the price

Watch for

  • Limited to Hawaii; your home state still needs an agent
  • $99 extra for the EIN application
Visit Hawaii Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Hawaii Registered Agent.co: the full write-up

The 3 entries on one card

Place Service Card score Service fee Year two Best for Go
1 Mainstay Filing 9.4 $199 $149/yr Companies spread over several states Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 HI Registered Agent.org 9.1 $199 $99/yr The lowest agent renewal we rank here Visit HI Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 Hawaii Registered Agent.co 9.0 $199 $99/yr The lowest agent renewal we rank here Visit Hawaii Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Formation Scorecard assigns each mark out of 10 itself, using the weighted criteria on How we rank. No customer ratings feed in.

Hawaii foreign registration service cost in 2026: first year, renewal and the three-year tally

Service First year Second year Third year Three-year tally Agent paid in year one
Mainstay Filing $199 $149 $149 $497 Free
HI Registered Agent.org $199 $99 $99 $397 Included
Hawaii Registered Agent.co $199 $99 $99 $397 Included

Each price comes from the company's own site, read on November 12, 2026. Add Hawaii's $51 registration fee to each row; the tally above leaves it out.

How the card was marked

Coverage of the price decided the Hawaii card. The method puts 25% on cost across three years and 25% on coverage of the price, then shares 50% among renewal terms, state-by-state fit and pricing clarity.

A foreign registration touches two states, so a single provider at one price in both earned the most coverage points, ahead of HI Registered Agent.org.

Every criterion and weight appears on How we rank.

Foreign LLC registration in Hawaii: fee, form and filing office

An outside company registers by sending the Application for Certificate of Authority for Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form FLLC-1) to the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA), Business Registration Division, with a $51 state fee. Hawaii additionally requires original certificate of existence from the jurisdiction of formation, dated no more than 60 days before filing.

Once registered, the company files the annual report ($12.50), due end of the quarter in which the LLC was registered.

Gather these before filing

  • Original certificate of existence from the jurisdiction of formation, issued no earlier than 60 days before filing.
  • The company name exactly as the home state has it, plus the date it was formed.
  • An in-state registered agent; any service on this card can fill that role.
  • The state fee of $51, sent in with the filing.
  • A calendar date for the annual report and its $12.50 fee.

The price of ignoring Hawaii registration

An unregistered outside LLC cannot sue in Hawaii courts until it registers (HRS 414-432(a); 428-1008(a)). Its contracts remain valid (HRS 414-432(e); 428-1008(b)). Fees for the unregistered period come due as well.

Hawaii foreign registration service: quick questions

Does Hawaii make an outside LLC register before operating?

Yes, when the company does business there. Until it registers, the state's courts are closed to its lawsuits.

What will foreign registration run in Hawaii?

Expect $51 for the state plus $199 for the service.

What is the registration form called in Hawaii?

The form goes to the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA), Business Registration Division; its exact name is in the facts above.

Is a home-state certificate part of the Hawaii filing?

Yes, the state wants original certificate of existence from the jurisdiction of formation, no older than 60 days.

Does a registered company still need a registered agent?

Yes, a registered agent with an in-state street address has to stay on file.

Which foreign registration service leads the card for Hawaii?

Mainstay Filing, since $199 plus state fees in any state, year-one registered agent service included.

See also

Where the figures come from

  1. Hawaii DCCA Business Registration Division release of July 1, 2026, as of October 2026
  2. Hawaii yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source, as of October 2026
  3. Hawaii formation fee: Filing fee, official source, as of October 2026
  4. Hawaii formation fee: Filing fee, official source, as of October 2026
  5. Hawaii registered agent statute, as of October 2026
  6. Hawaii DCCA, foreign LLC registration, as of October 2026
  7. Form FLLC-1, as of October 2026
  8. Foreign LLC filing fees, as of October 2026
  9. Hawaii Revised Statutes 428-1003, activities that are not transacting business, as of October 2026
  10. New Hawaii business registration portal FAQs, as of October 2026
  11. Hawaii Revised Statutes 414-432, consequences of transacting business without authority, as of November 2026
  12. Hawaii Revised Statutes 428-1008, effect of failure to obtain certificate of authority, as of November 2026
  13. Read on November 12, 2026: Hawaii service page for Mainstay Filing
  14. Read on November 12, 2026: pricing and service pages for HI Registered Agent.org
  15. Read on November 12, 2026: pricing and service pages for Hawaii Registered Agent.co